Michael Edward Helman set for hearing on sexual assault charges

FRANKLIN COUNTY - A teenage Waynesboro girl talked to police last week, alleging that a 49-year-old man sexually assaulted her last summer.

Michael Edward Helman, 49, of 111 E. North St., Waynesboro, is scheduled to be in Franklin County Central Court on Tuesday for his preliminary hearing on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and two counts of corruption of minors.

The girl, name withheld by Public Opinion, alleged that Helman sexually assaulted her at his residence in August 2012 when she was 13 years old, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

"Throughout the interview, when (the girl) was describing what Helman did to her, she would become very upset and cry," police said.

Last summer, the girl had contacted Helman via text after her skates broke and a friend recommended she contact him because he was her skating coach, the affidavit states.

Helman and the girl began texting back and forth and he agreed to fix her skates, police said. He came to her house and picked her up.

Once the skates were fixed, Helman and the girl picked up the girl's friend and drove to another coach's house in Hagerstown, Md., where they all stayed for skating practice, the affidavit states.

After practice, the girl agreed to stay at Helman's house, believing her friend was staying as well, the affidavit states. However, they dropped the friend off at her house and Helman drove to buy a bottle of liquor.

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A store in Waynesboro was closed, so they drove to Blue Ridge Summit some time after 8 p.m., police said. They went back to Helman's house and began to drink the liquor. The girl said she was not sure what it was.

"She said that she drank the liquor willingly but that every time she would finish a cup, Helman would just pour more in her cup," police said. "They were drinking in Helman's room on his bed and were watching TV. She said that this was the first time that she had drank like this and that it made her feel tired and dizzy. She was lying on his bed and eventually fell asleep."

During the night she woke to find that her shorts and underwear, which she had fallen asleep in, were off and that Helman was touching her inappropriately, the affidavit states.

"She said that she felt very tired and weak. She tried to move but she had no energy so she closed her eyes and acted like she was sleeping and pretended that she was somewhere else," police said. "It felt like the only thing she could do."

Later in the night, she went to the bathroom to vomit but was unsure how she got there, the affidavit states. In the morning, she woke up to find her shorts were back but her underwear was not.

She found them on a bench at the foot of the bed, the affidavit states. The girl told police she had never had sex before then. Helman took her home the next day.

"She said that she felt very depressed the next day," police said. "When Helman woke up, he asked her if she remembered anything and she told him no because she was afraid of what he might do if she told him that she did remember."

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Samantha Cossick can be reached at scossick@publicopinionnews.com and 262-4762.